Sealing assemblies for containers



Sept. 9, 1969 R. s. KONEFAL SEALING ASSEMBLIES FOR CONTAINERS Filed Oct.28, 1966 IFIG. 2

FIG?) United States Patent U.S. Cl. 222-498 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A throated container having an extending lip, and a cap forclosing the throat having an extending wall, said wall and lip havingstable over-center positions when extending diagonally of the throataxis, and flexible, in toggle-like action, between upward and downwarddiagonally-extending, stable, over-center positions.

This invention relates to improvements in sealing assemblies forcontainers.

It is a primary object of this invention, to provide a sealing assemblywhich may be quickly, easily, and positively secured, which may berepeatedly reused without deterioration of its sealing ability, andwhich will maintain its sealing ability through the internal pressure ofthe container is substantially above atmospheric.

It is a further object of the invention to achieve the above objectswith a sealing assembly that is both simple and inexpensive.

The invention features a resilient sealing assembly for a containerincluding a frusto-conical lip, connected to, and extending outwardlyfrom the throat of the container. The assembly also includes a caphaving a base for closing the throat of the container, and afrusto-conical wall extending from the base in juxtaposition with thelip, for providing a seal therebetween. An annular overhang extendingfrom the wall engages the edge of the lip and a portion of the lip onthe side opposite the Wall, forming a second seal for the container.

In preferred embodiments the wall and lip extend downwardly andoutwardly to form a toggle arrangement which urges the base against thethroat to form a third seal for the container; the wall and lip have anover-center position in association with the toggle arrangement in whicha section of the lip extends upwardly and outwardly to form a spout; andthe base is connected to the walls by extension of the base that suspendthe base in the throat, the throat being resilient; and the baseextensions are of a smaller diameter at the top of the throat than atthe base for constricting the throat about the base and base extensionto form a fourth seal for the container.

Other objects, features, and advantages will appear from the followingdescription of a preferred embodiment of the invention, taken togetherwith the attached drawings thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a container using the sealing assemblyaccording to this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional View of the sealing assembly and part ofthe container shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing another embodiment of thisinvention using a toggle arrangement;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing another embodiment of thisinvention using a toggle arrangement;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing another embodiment of thisinvention using the toggle arrangement to provide a spout.

There is shown in FIG. 1 a container having a receptacle portion 12,throat 14, and a resilient sealing assembly 16 mounted on the throat.Sealing assembly 16 3,465,923 Patented Sept. 9, 1969 includes afrusto-conical lip 18 attached to, and extending upwardly and outwardlyfrom, throat 14, i.e., lip 18 extends diagonally relative the axis ofthroat 14, and a cap 20. Cap 20, FIG. 2, includes a base 22 which closesthroat 14, and a frusto-conical wall 24 extending outwardly and upwardlyi.e., diagonally relative the axis of throat 14, in juxtaposition withinternal face 26 of lip 18. At its outer end wall 24 joins curvedoverhang 28 which engages the outer edge 30 and external face 32 of lip18.

Sealing assembly 16 is thus secured and sealed by the interaction ofoverhang 28 and edge 30 and is further sealed by the contact of wall 24and face 26, and by base 22 in throat 14.

The toggle arrangement, FIG. 3, of sealing assembly 34 results when lip18 and wall 24 are formed to extend outwardly and downwardly from throat1-4. The toggle arrangement results from wall 24 and lip 18 being in anover-center position, whereby diametrically opposed portions of cap 36place base 22 in tension and urge it into sealing arrangement withthroat 14. In addition, base extension 38 is urged against rim 40 at thejunction of lip 18 and throat 14 forming another seal for container 10.

The toggle arrangement may be used to greater advantage with cap 42formed by placing base 22 further into the throat using lengthened baseextension 38' in sealing assembly 44, FIG. 4, and using a resilientthroat 14'. In this assembly the diameter of base extension 38' issignificantly Smaller at its top 46 than at base 22. This configurationcauses throat 14' to be constricted about base 22 and base extension 38,providing another seal for container 10.

A sealing assembly 48, FIG. 5, shown without a cap, having a spout forpouring, may be realized by forming lip 18 with a portion extendingdownwardly and outwardly, and a portion extending upwardly andoutwardly. The upwardly extending portion forms spout 50.

In assembly 48, as in all the disclosed assemblies, a section ofoverhang 28 may be left engaged with an armate portion of edge 30 of lip18 to provide a hinge action for the cap so that it need not becompletely removed when the cap is opened. Each of the disclosedassemblies is constructed of resilient materials, typically polyethyleneplastic. The throat need not be resilient except as used in the sealingassembly of FIG. 4. The entire sealing assembly, throat and receptaclemay be made of polyethylene plastic by injection molding processes.

What is claimed is:

1. A resilient sealing assembly for a throated container comprising:

a lip connected to, and extending outwardly from, the

throat of the container,

a cap having a base for closing said throat, a wall extending from saidbase in juxtaposition with said lip, for providing a seal therebetween,and an annular overhang engaging the edge of said lip and a portion ofsaid lip on the side opposite said wall for forming a second seal forsaid container,

said lip and wall each being stable in a plurality of overcenterpositions, including a cap-engaging position and a cap-locking position,in which positions said lip and wall each extends diagonally relativethe axis of said throat, and unstable when extending perpendicularlyfrom said axis, said lip and wall each being responsive to externalforce applied thereto to flex in a toggle-like action between saidcap-engaging and cap-locking positions therein assuming upward anddownward diagonally-extending over-center attitudes.

2. The sealing assembly of claim 1 in which said throat is resilient,said base is connected to said wall by a base extension which suspendssaid base in said throat, and said 3 base extension is of a smallerdiameter at the top of said throat than at said base for constrictingsaid throat about said base and base extension and forming a fourth sealfor said container.

3. The sealing assembly of claim 1, in which said Wall and lip, inextending downwardly and outwardly from said throat, urge said baseagainst a rim formed by the junction of said throat and said lip to forma third seal for said container.

4. The sealing assembly of claim 1, in Which a first 10 References CitedUNITED STATES PATENTS 2,693,892 11/1954 Guinet 21541 3,139,131 6/1954Hutchinson 220-67 X 2,833,324 5/1958 Burroughs 21541 X 3,260,425 7/1966Moran 222-563 X 3,352,448 11/1967 Livingstone 21541 X ROBERT B. REEVES,Primary Examiner FREDERICK R. HANDREN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

